Reinforced-concrete building-block



G. A. JOHNSON.

REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS$HEET I.

IN I/EN 70R ATT ORNE Y G. A. JOHNSON. REINFORCED CONCRETE BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2h l9l9.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IN l/E N TOR A U ORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF ADOLF JOHNSON, 0F MANTECA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO B. M. OLMSTED, 0F MAN'IECA, CALIFORNIA.

nnmroaonn-oonoanrn BUILDING-BLOCK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAF A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manteca, in the county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reinforced-Concrete Building-Blocks; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in building construction, and particularly to the use of concrete for such purpose, the principal object of the invention being to form building blocks or slabs of reinforced concrete or similar material which will interlock one with the other in such a manner that when once set up, they cannot be displaced by force either on one side or the other, but will on the contrary wedge and lock all the tighter with such action.

I have adapted my improved form of con struction particularly to be used in the construction of irrigation and drainage struc .tures, especially for the check and drop gates as used in irrigation works and also for the side walls of the structures, which on one side have the pressure of the water trying to force them apart and on the outer side the mass of possibl loose earth tending to cave them in. (.1 the drawings I have shown the invention as applied in the construction of a drainage ditch. Another advantage of my improved construction is the doing away with wooden boxes or forms in which to pour the concrete while building the ditch, etc., which takes time to set up and in which the concrete must be left a sufficient length of time to set and which can only be done in fair weather.

My improved building slabs are formed in a concrete yard or works, and with the exception of the corner or turn members, are to be made interchangeable.

I have also produced a simple and inexpensive form of construction and yet one which will be extremely efficient for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

On the drawings, similar characters of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed March 21, 1919. Serial No. 284,111.

reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective showingmy improved form of construction at a right angle corner.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top sectional plan taken on a line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 42 is a perspective elevation of a pair of corner blocks showing the method of put ting the same together.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the female end of one of the slabs.

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the male end of the adjacent interlocking slab.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of one of the corner slabs.

I will particularly describe the construction and interlocking features of the corner members, as the same interlocking constr ction is incorporated in the straight slabs, but to a lesser degree.

Referring now more particularly to the numerals of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the upper and female slab of a pair of corner members, 2 being the male member.

The member 1 has a 90 arc portion 8 thereon, the member 2 extending at a right angle to the main body of the member 1, but having no curve beyond the point of abutting with said member. The abutting edges 2, however, are not radial lines from the center of the arc of the portion 3, but are such that their lines extended fall within such center, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Projecting centrally from the end of the member 2 which is adjacent the member 1 is a tongue 5 curved to conform to the curve of the member 1 and having steps 6 on the upper and lower edges thereof which progressively increase the height of the tongue.

The lines of these steps may be radial from the center of the curve of the tongue, which is adapted to fit into a similarly stepped recess 7 in themember 1.

In putting or locking these two members together, as illustrated in Fig. 4, it will be noted that the tongue 5 cannot be slid into the recess in the member 1 from the outside, owing to the off-radius alinement of the abutting edges 4, but must be brought into contact therewith from the inside face of the member 1.

It will be further noted, however, that neither can the tongue be slipped into the recess 7 from the inside face, owing to the wedge shape of the radially formed steps.

It is therefore necessary to proceed as clearly shown in Fig. 4t; 71. 6. pass the narrow portion of the tongue 5 through the recess 7 till the abutting edge of the member 2 is on the inside of that of the member 1, while leaving the portion of greatest height of the tongue on the outside face of the member 1. When this is accomplished, it is then a simple matter to knuckle the tongue into position.

It will then be evident, on account of the peculiar formation of the edges, that it will be impossible to force the tongue straight out of the recess 7 either from the outer or inner face, and the members are thus securely locked against displacement by even pressure on either side.

The lower edges of the members 1 and 2 are provided with tongues or lugs 8 set in opposite angular order at spaced intervals along such edges.

These lugs are adapted to fit into similarly alined grooves 9 in wall corner members 10 and 11 thereunder, these members having the same interlocking construction as the members 1 and 2 but in reverse position. The members 1 and 2, after being locked, are lowered directly onto the members 10 and 11, similarly locked. The positioning of the lugs and grooves 8 and 9 gives opposite wedging effect against any pressure on any of the wall members from either one side or the other, and so they are securely locked against displacement by lateral pressures.

The straight ends of the members 10 and 1.1 are provided with lugs 12 set in opposed angular relation, which lugs fit into recesses 13 similarly alined in the ends of either members 14 or 15 positioned alongside and adjacent thereto and similar construction is used on the straight ends of the members 1. and 2 and their adjoining slabs, not shown.

These members, it will be evident, can only be positioned by moving them up to one another in a horizontal direction, and when once so positioned cannot be displaced by lateral pressure from either side.

The further ends of the members 14 and 15 are likewise provided with lugs fitting into recesses in their adjoining members and so on indefinitely. The members 141 and 15 are also provided with grooves on their, upper edges similar to. the grooves 9 in the members 10 and 11 and for the same purpose.

' In setting up or building a wall with my improved slabs, enough of the lower tier must first be positioned so that the upper tier may be laid thereon without any overlap of the upper tier beyond the ends of the" lower.

While I have shown and described a wall consisting of only two tiers of slabs, it is of course evident that this form of construction may be continued vertically to an indefinite distance.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a form of building construction, vertical slabs adapted to rest with their edges abutting, lugs and recesses on the adjoining edges of the slabs, each such alternate lug and recess on the vertical edges of the slabs being angularly and oppositely disposed relative to the horizontal plane thereof, and each alternate lug and recess on the horizontal edges being similarly disposed relative to the vertical plane of the slabs, whereby when placed together any lateral pressure on the slabs from either side will cause the slabs to wedge tightly together.

2. In a form of building construction having a pair of curved adjoining corner members, means in such members whereby when positioned they cannot be displaced by lateral pressures, such means including a tongue on one of the members adapted to fit in a recess provided in the other member, steps on the tongue and in the recess, the horizontal lines of such steps being radial from the center of curvature of the members, and vertical abutting edges in the members whose horizontal lines of adjoining fall inside the center of curvature of the members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAF ADOLF JOHNSON. 

